BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – City water crews will begin a second round of citywide fire hydrant flushing overnight on Sunday, Aug. 3.
While the city typically completes hydrant flushing once a year to maintain water quality and system performance, this additional round is a proactive measure to help reduce levels of total trihalomethanes (TTHM) in the water system as the city works to replace the aging well system at the Verona Well Field.
Schedule and Duration: Hydrant flushing is conducted in phases. Crews will be flushing hydrants overnight, Aug. 3-9, between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.
How to Follow Progress: Neighbors can follow along with our real-time progress on the city website's hydrant flushing page, or by subscribing to city alerts.
Benefits of Flushing: In addition to helping reduce the level of TTHMs in the municipal water system, flushing hydrants and water mains provide several benefits to our water system users. Regular flushing ensures water of the highest quality for our customers. It also allows our crews to verify that our water system is operating properly and identify areas that require repair and/or maintenance. Additionally, it ensures that fire hydrants are ready for use should the Battle Creek Fire Department need them.
Additional Information: There are no planned water shut offs for neighbors' homes as part of the hydrant flushing process. The flushing process often results in cloudy or discolored water; please be mindful of this while doing laundry or other tasks that could be affected. We do what we can to limit this, and the water always is safe during the process. If you experience any issues, run your cold water tap until the water clears.
The City of Battle Creek operates and maintains approximately 3,664 fire hydrants.